Form-cleaning device



Feb. 8, 192?.

w. SMITH FORM CIJEANING DEVICE 4 Filed June 29 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 8 9 @2 2.

W. H. SMITH .FORM CLEANING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed-June 29, 1925 lmik:

, llmlliil 4.5fm

L v INVENTOR Patented Feb. 8, 1927.

' STATE WALTER H. SMITH. OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO MILLER SAW- atlases raiser orries. J

TIEtIlllIll'IIEJEtv COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION PENNSYLVANIA.

FORM-CLEANING DEVICE.

Ap'plication filerl June 29, 1926. Serial No. {10,214, 7

between the printing faces. This stopping the press to clean the form has been especlally necessary where inks having a metallic base, such as alchemic gold ink, are used;

since flakes of the base of these inks are particularly liable to lodge between the type,

so that a .smudged appearance is given to the work after a relatively few impressions have been made.

It is an object .of my invention to provide a device for automatically cleaning the type during the running of the press, in order thatstoppage for cleaning, and the consequent waste of time, is avoided. It is a further object to produce an automatic cleaning device of this nature which will be Simple and economical of construction, which will not interfere with the proper operation of the press at suitable speed, and whichwill be adaptable as far as possible to existing press parts.

I have described in the following specification, and shown, by way of example, in'

the accompanying drawings, a form cleaning .device constructed in accordance with my invention and applied to a platen press of the Gordon type. It is to be understood, however, that changes may be made in the form described and shown, that the lIlVGIl tion may be embodied in other forms, without exceeding the scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a .side elevation of the bed portion of ,a Gordon press showing my invention applied to theinking roller mechanism thereof V Fig. 2 is a front view of the same;

Fig. 3 is an enlargedsection taken on the line of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 4 isan enlarged section taken on the 'li-ne 44; of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 10-1O indicat the side frames of the press bed, these frames 'beingior ned at their front edgesso to create the nsual jroller tracks or bearers 11' upon which run the trucks 12 of the form rolls 13. The press shown is of the character in which four form rolls are employed, the rolls being arranged in pairs, each pair being supported in spring pressed saddles 14, movably associated with the ink roller carriages 15 in the well known manner. In the construction now being described, how ever, the lowermost of the composition rolls is removed and there is substituted therefor the rotary brush device now to be described. Supported in the lower part ofthe' lowermost pair of saddles 14, so as 'to rotate in the latter, is'a shaft 16 which carries, at each end, a tripping truck,. These tripping trucks are of well known construction and provide meansrwhereby thei shaft 16 may travel in a different plane according to the direction of its reciprocation. Each tripping truck includes an inner member comprising a collar 17 secured tothe shaft 16 and having a flange 18 extending from its outer end and carrying pins 19 which enter corresponding sockets in the outer truck member. Each outer truck member comprises a ring 20 longitudinally slidable upon the collar 17 and having sofc ketslfor receiving the pins 19, springs 21 being provide d on the pins'and tending to move" the outer truck" the bearers 11 either traveling upon the peripheries of the rings 20 or upon" the periphery of the flangesQQ.

The construction such that the brush 23, while moving upward over the type, travels in a plane high enough to avoid the type, so that it will not disturb the ink just applied to the latter by theform rolls. It

continues in this higher plane up to a point close to the upward limit of this movement,

so thatit will also clear the ink disc. Just at the upward limit of its travel, it is'lowered slightly, but not sufliciently to bring it into contact with the inkdisc; and in the first part of its downward movement, while it is overthe ink disc, is maintained in slightly lowered position. ust as the brush passes the lower edge of the dise which the brush is mounted.

it is allowed to descend further, and thereafter travels such a plane that it will contact with the type, and brush the ink out there from, as it. passes downwardly past the form.

, brush is moving downwardly across the form, the rings 20 of the outer truck members are rolling upon the tracks 11, so that the shaft 16is moving in a plane close to the type, and the brush is enabled to operate upon the latter. Fixed cams 24, are pro vided on each side ofthe bed 10,-a11d areso placed that they willbe engaged by the 'flanges18 of the inner truck members when theink roller carriages 15 come totheir extreme lowermost position. This engagement of, the flanges 18 with the cams 24 causes the tripping trucks to be forced slightly away from the tracks 11. Prior tosuch engagement the outer truck members had been prevented from closing :upon the inner truck members by reason of the engagement of the edges of the flanges 22 with the inside edges of the tracks, 11; but when the tripping trucks are raised by the action of the cams 24,-the'edges of the flanges 22 are free from 7 those of the roller tracks 11, and the outer truck members are permitted to move, un-

der the'action of the springs 21, towards the ends of the shaft 16, thereby causing the outer truck finembers to engage upon the i roller tracks 11.by their flanges 22 instead'of by their rings 20. When, therefore, the ink rollerv carriages make their upward movement the flanges 22 willroll upon the tracks 11, so that the brush 23 will clear the type.

Extension roller tracks 25, forming continuations of the tracks 11, and extending parallel with theink disc 26, are secured to the bed '10. Formed. in these extension tracksIare' notches 27 so cut as to provide cam edges 28 at their lower parts. These notches are soplaced "that the tripping trucks will reach them at the extreme limit of their upward movement when. the, press parts are in their impression condition, but ,w1ll. not reach them when the press parts are not in their impression condition, it being understood, of course,-that the extent: of the [movement of the ink roller carriages 15 is slightly less when the press parts are in a thrown-out or non-impression condition.

- Beneath the extension tracks 25 are mounted track strips 29 which terminate slightly below thevlevel of the lower edge of the ink disc 26.- As has been stated, the tripping trucks of the brush shaft 16 travel upwards over the form with their flanges 22 rolling upon the tracks 11. As the tracks pass further upward, they roll upon the extension tracks 25, until they'reach the upward limit of their movement, whereupon'they fall into the notches 27 and on to the track strips 29. These track strips are on a level suchqthat the brush will not contact with the ink disc 26. As the trucks start. their downward movement, the outer edges of their flanges 22 willengageagainst the camredges 28 of the notches 27; so that the outertruck members will be forced inward by such cam edges as the trucks continue to move downward. lVhile the brush is traveling over the, ink plate, the flanges 22 of the trucks will roll uponthe track strips 29, but when the brush has passed below the edge of the inkplate, the truck flanges 22 will leave the ends of the track strips 29, whereupon thetrucks will fall further until their rings 20 engage upon the tracks-11, at which time the brush 23 will be close enough to the form to enable it to exert its cleaning action upon the type therein The brush 23 is provided at each end with a collar 30 which is secured by a set screw 31 to a sleeve 32 revolubly mounted on the shaft16; so that, by loosening the set screw -31, the brushmaybe adjustedlaterally of the pressto agree with the position of the type in the chase. At one end, the sleeve 32 has secured thereto a gear-33 which meshes with a corresponding gear3t mounted upon the, shaft 35 of the form roller 13 located immediately above the brush, The effect of this is that the brush 23 is caused to rotate in an opposite direction tothe form roll, that is, the form roll will rotate in a clockwise direction (Fig. 1) whilethe brush will rotate ina contra-clockwise direction, ex-

erting its brushing eifect in a downward direction.

Suitably supported between the lower saddles'14 is a transverse rod 36 to which are secured by means of set screws 37 the lugs 38 of a curved guard 39 which covers the top part of the brush 23 and prevents the ink on the brush from being thrown over the work being printed in the press. To the inside of the face of the guard 39 is secured an angle plate 40 the edge of which is engaged by the brush so as to break up the ink on the bristles of the latter and thereby keep the brush in good operating condition. 7

It will be observed that the brush cleans the type at eachfdownward movement across the form, and does not come in contact either with the type or ink disc at any other time. It is to be noted further that when the press is running in a"thrown-o ut or tripped condition the brush will travel up and down without touching either the type orink disc at any time. This is for the reason that with the press inthe thrown-out condition the tripping trucks will not reach the notches 27,

and consequently the large diameter flanges 22 will never leave tracks 11 or extension tracks 25.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters. Patent, is: v

1. The combination with a printing press of a brush, means for moving said brush in one direction over and in contact with the type, and in the other direction over and out of contact with the type, during the running of the press.

2. The combination with a printing press of a rotatable brush, means for moving said brush in one direction over and in contact with the type, and in the other direction over and. out of contact with the type, during the running of the press, and means for rotating said brush oppositely to its direction of movement, when in contact with the type.

3. The combination with a platen press having carriages for form rollers of a brush rotatably associated with said carriages, con

nection means between one of the form rollers and said brush whereby the roller rotates the brush in a direction opposite to its own rotation, and means permitting said brush to Contact the type in its downward movement and clearthe type in its upward movement.

4:. The combination with a platen press having a carriage for form rollers, of a brush rotatably associated with said carriages, connection means between one of the form rollers and said brush whereby the roller rotates the brush in a direction opposite to its own rotation, and tripping trucks associated with said brush, and means for actuating said trucks to cause said brush to contact the type in its downward movement and clear the type in its upward movement.

VVALTER' H. SMITH. 

